Means for locking cans.



mfWM 6% Wa J. H. THOMPSON & E. S. GOETZ.

MEANS FOR LOCKING CANS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. I915- 1,190,043. Patented July 4,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. H. THOMPSON & E. S. GOETZ.

MEANS FOR LOCKING CANS.

APPLICATION FILED mvzl. I915- Patented July 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 2 per; Z01 5 .HI 2750;:

wvvzeg UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

J'AMES HENRY THOMPSON, OF-SOUTH MELBOURNE, AND EMIL STEPHEN GOETZ, OF

WEST MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRAL 0F MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.

IA, ASSIGNORS T0 RANDAL JAMES ALCOGK,

MEANS FOR LOCKIN G CANS To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES HENRY THOMPSON, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Clardendon street, South Melbourne, in theState of Victoria, Australia, manager, and EMIL STEPHEN Gon'rz, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 399 Batman street,l/Vest Melbourne, Victoria aforesaid, engineer, have invented ImprovedMeans for Looking Cans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the locking or closing of tin cans orcanisters and has been devised in order to provide a convenient means ofclosing and locking the cans in such a manner that after being unlockeda can cannot be relocked by the original means, whereby any tamperingwith the contents of the cans may .be readily detected.

Briefly stated a locking lid of circular elliptical or rectangular shapeis pressed into the neckor mouth of the can from the inside or underside(before the construction of the can is completed) so as to beapproximately flush with the top of the neck or mouth and said top iscapable of being pushed inward, turned and withdrawn but cannot bereplaced in the original manner.

- The invention is illustrated by the accompanylng drawings whereofFigure l is a vertical section of a can with the improved locking meansas applied to a can formed with a circular mouth. Figs. 2 and 3 aresectional views (broken) illustrating the removal of the locking lid.Fig. 4 is a section View (broken) illustrating the means of using thelocking lid after removal as a closure lid. Fig. 5 is a section. Fig. 6a ,plan and Figs. 7 and 8 sections showing the application of theinvention to a can having an elliptical mouth and lid.

According to this invention the locking lid 1 is formed with adownwardly projecting flange 2 adapted to neatly fit the mouth 3 of thecan or'the mouth 3 of a neck a thereon and said flange is flared at thelower edge or formed with a lateral project-ion 5 the diameter of whichis greater than the mouth of the can.

The mouth of the can is formed with an.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.;

Application filed May 21, 1915. Serial No. 29,574.

. filled after which the {remaining top or bottom of the can is securedin position.

In order to open the can, the lid, when 2 and turned vertically as inFig. 3 when of circular shape, is pressed down as in Fig.

it is drawn out of the mouth, there being sufficient flexibility in themetal to permit the projection 5 on the lid being drawn through saidmouth.

W hen the lid is elliptical as inFigs. 5 to 8 the removal of the liddoes not depend on the flexibility of the metal as it is turned so thatits smallest diameter is opposite the greatest diameterof the mouth ofthe can when it is simply lifted upwardly. In this construction thelateral projection 5 on the lid may be substantially greater than themouth of the. can.

The foregoing description as to elliptical lids applies also-to anyshapes other than circular.

In either form of the invention it is practically impossible to replacethe lid in its original position by reversing the action as the lidcannot be drawn approximately flush with the mouth of the can as in Fig.1.

If desired the locking lid may be reversed for subsequent household useand pressed downwardly into the mouth of the can like an ordinary leverlid as illustrated in Fig. 4, .and in-order to prevent fraud the thenoutside of the lid may be stamped with words such as This can has beenopened. The neck of the can may be dispensed with altogether as in Figs.4, 5, 7 and 8 and the 'close the canister after the locking lid has beenremoved or when the latter is used as a closure lid.

We claim 1. Improved means for locking cans consisting of a locking lidformed with a downwardly projecting flange, a lateral projectionextending from the flange, said lid being adapted to be pressed intoposition into the mouth of the can from the underside of the top beforethe can is completed and a lip on the mouth formed with a downwardlyprojecting flange against which said lateral projection abuts.

2. Improved means for sealing cans formed with a discharge mouth,comprising a sealing lid formed with a downwardly projecting flange, alateral projection extending from said flange, said lid being adapted tobe pressed into .the mouth of the can from the underside of the topbefore the can is completed, and a lip on the mouth formed with adownwardly projecting flange against which said lateral projection onthe lid abuts, said lid being depressible within the can to unseal thelatter.

3. Improved means for locking cans consisting of a locking lid formedwith a down wardly projecting flange with a lateral projectionandadapted to be pressed into the mouth of the can from the underside ofthe top of the can before the latter is completed, and a lip on themouth formed with A a downwardly projecting flange against which saidlateral projection on the lid abuts, said locking lid being depressiblewithin the can to unseal the latter and when removed from the can,adapted to be reversed and used as a closure lid applicable from theoutside of the can.

l.- Improved means for sealing cans having elliptical mouths comprisinga downwardly projecting flange on the mouth, an elliptical lid formedwith a lateral projection and adapted to be pressed in sealed positioninto the mouth from the underside of the top to seal the can, said lidbeing adapted to be depressed to unseal the can and turned vertically sothat its smallest diameter is opposite the greatest diameter of themouth of the can when the lid is to be removed.

5. A fraud-preventive closure for vessels comprising a sealing closureapplicable in sealing position onlybefore the vessel is completed, andmeans formed on the closure for'preventin the latter from beingwithdrawn from t e vessel out of sealing position, while permitting theclosure to be depressed into the vessel to unseal the latter, saidclosure being removable from the vessel when unsealed to provide a coverfor the latter applicable from the outside thereof.

Signed at Melbourne, this fourteenth day of April, 1915.

JAMES HENRY THOMPSON. EMIL STEPHEN GOETZ.

